Two Pastors Come into Catholic Church and onto Priests for
Life Staff!

Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director

Priests for Life is happy to announce that two extraordinary pro-life leaders
have joined our staff: Rev. Dr. Paul C. Schenck and James J. Pinto, Jr.

Both men bring a wealth of experience to the Priests for Life organization.
Rev. Schenck, who is currently in the process of becoming a Catholic, is the
co-founder and Chairman of the well-known group, Faith and Action, based in
Washington D.C. He is a trustee of three colleges, the author of six books, and
has received many distinguished awards, including an honorary doctorate from the
Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in New Hampshire. Before founding Faith and
Action, Rev. Schenck was the Executive Vice President of the American Center for
Law and Justice. He and his wife, Becky, have eight children!

James Pinto is also a convert to Catholicism. Selected as the "Outstanding
Young Religious Leader of Alabama," he served as a priest in the Anglican church
for over 20 years. Known for his ability to communicate the Gospel passionately
and effectively, Jim has been appeared frequently on television and radio. He
has founded and/or developed numerous important ministries in the greater
Birmingham area, including, Her Choice Crisis Pregnancy Center Habitat for
Humanity, The Grace House/Village for Girls, and the Sanctity of Life
Apostolate. Jim and his wife, Joy, have been married for 26 years and have four
children and four grandchildren.

The addition of Rev. Schenck and Jim Pinto to the Priests for Life staff is
significant in several ways. First and most importantly, both individuals are
great leaders in their own right. They have each founded and led successful
pro-life organizations. They have each devoted decades of their life to saving
the lives of the pre-born. Their commitment to the pro-life struggle goes far
beyond the average person. What they bring to Priests for Life in terms of their
ability to help our organization end abortion cannot be measured. Indeed, in the
short time that they have been with Priests for Life, both men have already done
a great deal to advance our mission. Jim Pinto has been extremely active in
pushing forward the Priests for Life voter registration campaign for the 2004
elections, and he has been busy with ecumenical networking and coalition
building. Rev. Schenck has been hard at work developing Gospel of Life
Ministries, a subsidiary of Priests for Life that will focus on working closely
with clergy of all faith traditions.

The fact that two pro-life leaders of such high caliber have converted to
Catholicism demonstrates once again that God can bring about unity and harmony
even in the midst of great discord. Indeed, in the thirty years since Roe vs.
Wade legalized abortion, we have seen a noticeable lessening of frictions
between the various denominations of Christianity. Working together with our
brothers and sisters from other faith traditions for the shared purpose of
ending the slaughter of innocent children has resulted in a greater spirit of
cooperation and collaboration. "For me," says Rev. Schenck, "becoming a Catholic
is the fulfillment of my yearning for a truly comprehensive and consistent
Christianity…The Catholic Church provides a coherent foundation for an
unyielding commitment to the sanctity of every human life, of marriage and of
the family, and of all the seasons for life."

And the fact that these two former Protestant leaders have decided to leave
their own organizations in order to work for Priests for Life is also highly
significant. Priests for Life presently has 50 full-time staff members, four
full-time priest associates and an outreach via the mass media that is
staggering. We have never been in a stronger position to influence the culture
and impact the pro-life movement in America. It is extremely gratifying to all
of us here that leaders such as Rev. Schenck and Jim Pinto recognize the
critical role we are playing and are eager to join forces with us. "This
organization," says Jim Pinto, "is making a profound contribution…I count
it as a great privilege to be a part of the team and the mission. Priests for
Life has given me a concrete opportunity to take the Gospel of life to the
World— the whole world!"

We are grateful to God for giving us Rev. Schenck and Jim Pinto, and we are
confident that the addition of these two leaders to our staff signals an
important new development in the pro-life cause, and will result in even more
babies' lives being saved in months and years ahead.

Elections and the Church Parking Lot

With primaries taking place in various parts of
the nation and the general election fast approaching, many pastors are
approached by people who wish to distribute campaign literature in the Church
parking lot, or who simply do it on their own.

There is no reason to throw such people off the property simply for
putting literature on cars. Among the attorneys who advise us at Priests for
Life are James Bopp, Jr. and Barry Bostrom, who are among the nation's leading
experts on tax law and on what Churches are allowed to do regarding elections.
In a recent letter, they advised us as follows:

"…[T]he distribution of campaign material by others in the church parking lot
will not jeopardize the church's tax exempt status. The mere permission of
distribution of campaign materials by others in the church parking lot is not
regulated by the Internal Revenue Code. The Code and its regulations are
designed to limit only the activities and expenditures of non-profit
organizations. Distribution of campaign materials by others outdoors, in
a public parking lot, is not an activity or expenditure of the church…

"…[I]n most states there are state court decisions holding that such activity
is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and/or the State
Constitution, and therefore, the church will suffer no adverse consequences as a
result of this activity. There are many cases recognizing the free speech rights
of individuals and protecting speech and petitioning, reasonably exercised, in
public areas, even when the property is privately owned…

"In other words, churches not only may permit campaign statements to be
distributed in their public parking lots, they cannot prohibit such
distributions because the parking lots are open to the public."

Prayer Intentions

You are encouraged to remember the following intentions as you pray the
Liturgy of the Hours:

March intention: That the spirit of Lent may help God's people to repent of
their role in the abortion tragedy.

April intention: For an increase in the virtue of hope among those who labor
against the Culture of Death.

General Intercessions in Spanish

Following are petitions based on the readings for the latter part of Lent
through Easter, Cycle C

"[S]ometimes when the physician reaches
into the uterine cavity to dismember the fetus and remove a part, the entire
fetus, still intact, may pass through…up to the head…It is not always possible
to remove [the head] without crushing the skull…or by puncturing the skull and
suctioning out its contents, thereby killing the fetus…" (Michigan: Evans v.
Kelly, 977 F. Supp. 1283).

Testimony of Dr. M.E.: "If I get a leg, part of that leg will protrude into
the vaginal cavity, then [I will disarticulate it] and the hemorrhaging then
causes the death of the fetus" (Ibid.)

Calling all parish respect life
coordinators

Dear Friend,

Priests for Life would like to know how to contact the respect life
coordinator for your parish. As we interact with priests from coast to coast, we
learn many effective pastoral programs, and we want your parish coordinator to
be aware of them. Kindly fill out the form below and mail or fax it to us. Thank
you!

"What Does the Church Teach about Life Issues?" (Booklet) Published by
Liguori Publications, this booklet explains the "consistent ethic of life" in a
way that both asserts the truth of this teaching and counteracts the myths that
would exploit it. Some have dismissed the consistent ethic, saying it waters
down the unique seriousness of the abortion problem. Others have misused the
consistent ethic, criticizing groups that have a specific focus on fighting
abortion. Drawing on the writings of the bishops and on his extensive experience
in the pro-life movement, Fr. Frank Pavone addresses these concerns in this
booklet. Great for parish bookracks and adult education programs! [Product 1624,
$1 donation]

"Fire and Ice" (CD and Audiocassette) Do you have people look at you
like you're crazy when you tell them about the horrors of partial-birth
abortion? Well here is a tape of one! Hear the suction of the brains; hear the
abortionist describe the process; hear the applause of the abortionists after
the child has been killed! Then hear inspiring remarks by Alan Keyes! With this
product, nobody will doubt you again! [Product 1625 (CD) or 1626 (audio), $7.50
donation each]

"Earth's Trash, Heaven's Treasure" This painting is one of the most
powerful depictions of how children thrown away on earth are received by Jesus
in heaven. [Product 133, $12 donation]

Other Priests for Life Products

Won by Love
(the book explaining how Norma McCorvey, the plaintiff of Roe vs. Wade,
became a pro-life Christian) [Product 783, $20 donation] and its companion
booklet My Journey into the Catholic Church. [Product 1525, $3 donation].

Living the Gospel of Life: A Study Guide (Fr. Frank Pavone guides you to a
deeper understanding of the US Bishops' 1998 document.) [Product 1598, $10
donation].